Athea goes all-out ‘stripey’ for fun run

ATHEA is a sea of candy stripes and anticipation is at fever pitch in the village ahead of Sunday’s ‘Athea runs faster in stripes’ event.

The target of €10,000 to be raised for the Ronald McDonald House is also moving closer to being realised. By last Sunday, the quarter-mark stage had been passed and donations have been flowing in all week. 

The coffee-morning which takes place this Friday in Con Colbert Hall will boost that figure further but all eyes are on the main event on Sunday. 

Registration for the 5k run/walk will begin from 11am on Sunday morning at the Con Colbert Memorial Hall. 

“It is essential that everyone taking part in the event registers and receives a sticker,” says Damien Aherne, one of the main organisers. 

There will be a prize for the first man and woman across the finishing line but the judges will also be on the lookout for the best-striped man, woman and child. 

“Any colour stripes are welcome and the advice from the judges is ‘go all out!,”  said Damien. There will also be a treasure hunt around the 5km route for children who will need to collect a stamp at every 1km. The completed treasure hunt sheets must then be presented to ‘The Giant’ to be in with a chance of a prize.

There will also be a water station and music station located along the route and free refreshments will be served at the hall following the fun run. 

The route is the 5km Slí na Sláinte walk around Fairy Street and a strictly no parking policy will be in force along the route in the interests of safety. The organisers are asking as many people as possible to make their way on foot to the hall on Sunday morning or, if that is not possible, to pool transport. Parking will be available at the soccer pitch on the Glin Road with a shuttle bus to the hall. Parking will also be available on the Abbeyfeale, Listowel and Moyvane Roads with limited parking in the village. Stewards will be in place to help motorists and home-owners are asked to help by opening their driveways for parking. Athea Runs Faster in Stripes is a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House in Dublin which badly needs funds to build a new facility. Ronald McDonald House, as so many families in Limerick know through experience, provides accommodation and a caring and supportive environment for families whose children are seriously ill and in hospital or undergoing medical treatment in Dublin.